Sean Cain
Sean Cain paints the classical figure with a modern surrealist approach. His expressive yet ambiguous figures, located within unexpected settings, provoke strong emotional responses or prompt questions and some uncertainty on the part of the viewer. Captured in the midst of tightly cropped or panoramic landscapes, the figures that Cain paints are engaged in their own dreamlike dramas, often wrapped in drapes that obscure most of their figure, or just their face. The surreality of these figures’ locations and actions further emphasize their isolation and self-awareness. Cain seeks to balance his rich, technically complex portrayal of the figure with a dramatic expression of human emotion and experience, compelling viewers to examine their own visceral responses to the paintings themselves. The beauty of Sean Cain's figures, besides being superbly drawn, lies in their heroic and enigmatic presence.
A graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 1994, Sean Cain also studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Cain has been in numerous exhibitions at the Laura Russo Gallery. His work has also been included in group exhibitions at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, The Art Gym at Marylhurst University, and the Portland Art Museum, in Oregon.